WARS OF THE NINETIES. 94 army. A little to its front, and just clear of the line, two more batteries were inposition. each with two companies held back in reserve. The twoHighland regiments made a braveshow, the dark tartans of their kilts being the onebit of colour in the longarray of khaki-clad soldiery.

Behind the Cameron left, ready to guard the exposedflank from a Dervishrush, theWarwickshire men stood drawn up in column of companies. To the right of Gatacre's brigade two batteries of artillery, twelve guns, unlimbered, and waitedready to open fire. Then came the centreformedbyMacDonald'ssplendidSoudanese regiments,men who had for the most part once marched under the Dervish banner, but who were now trained to fight the battles of Egypt andEngland,andhad givenproof of theirvalour and loyalty on many a hard-foughtfield. There In rear of the centre were two companies oi the camel corps. Behind the right of Gatacre's brigade Lewis's brigade of three Egyptian battalions was held inreserve,formed in square, with the water-laden camels, reserve ammunition and hospital transport in its centre. Its special mission was to help the Warwicks in case of a flank attack from the left. With the sameobject in view Broadwood kept his cavalry well out on the same flank, about a thousand yards away on the open desert. He had his Maxim ba tery with him,and early in the day he detacl squadron to guard the other flank. B chief danger was on the left, for there, away 1111' BATTLE OF THE ATBARA: MAXIM-NORDENFELDTS SHELLING MAHMOUD'S ZEREBA.

were the nth,ioth,and 9th Soudanese, the best of the black regiments, each with two companies in the front line,and four morein columnbehind them,ready to join when the moment came in the rush for the zereba. In reservebehind them the jnd Egyptian infantry were drawn up in a long line. On the right of the whole stood Maxwell's brigade, its front formed by three more Soudanese battalions,newer in formation thanMacDonald's,and witha shorter record,but alleager to show that they wereas goodfighting menas the older regiments. Maxwellhadmore ground at his disposal than his comrade in the centre, so he had drawnup eachof his battalions with four companies in line in front, and two morein reserve behind. His right was guarded by an Egyptian battalion, formed in column of companies, like the Warwicks, on the other flank. This postof honour wasgiven to the 8th Egyptians, oneof the regiments that is entirely officered by natives. Its commander was one of the veteran Turkish officers of the Egyptian towards the river,the mass of Dervish horsemen could be half seen through the dense clouds oi sand and dust that rose around them as they movedup from the river. The Sirdar's red flag flew from a knoll behind the centre, where he stood with his staffgrouped around him. Away to the left, in the centre of the British brigade, another flag was flying,theUnion Jack,marking General Gatacre's position.

There were a few anxious silent minutes while the two armies gazed at each other, waiting for the sound of the first shot. The Dervishes were moving aboutlike the black dots on a disturbed ant-hill,and some of the veterans who looked on from the Sirdar's line expected to see them rush out with their bannersinfront, in the old Dervish fashion,trusting to sword and spear. But any such moveon their part would have been destruction, as was proved a few months later in the great fight before Omdurman.

Exactly at a quarter past six the Sirdar gave